Author: Steve Earles
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Ninjaspy – Spüken
Always a pleasure to review a band with an original sound and, really, they don’t come much more original than the memorably named Ninjaspy! Spüken is a real smorgasbord of influences, but the band also achieves the grand feat of being extremely coherent. Sure Ninjaspy will appeal to fans of System of a Down, Goijira, The…
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Slagduster – Deadweight
I have heard a lot of original monikers for bands in my time, but Slagduster is one of the most original (it’s the name of a piece of mine machinery from over a century ago). This four-piece from Grand Forks, B.C., plays progressive metal in the vein of Gojira, Voivod, Sikth, Meshuggah, Dillinger Escape Plan, and…
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Deity – Deity
With a name like Deity (which means ‘Godhead; the Supreme Being; a fabulous god or goddess, a divinity’), this band have a lot to live up to, a self-imposed high water mark if you will. One the whole Deity more than do their moniker justice. Moreover, while being true to their death metal roots (indeed…
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Sigil – Kingdom of the Grave
Sigil have produced a most assured debut. Influenced by the likes of Discharge, Entombed, Black Breath, Death, Immolation and Morbid Angel, Sigil are ploughing their own furrow. A pleasing aspect to this album is the crusty sound to the riffs. I was reminded of the likes of Doom here; these are some seriously dense and effective…
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Book reviews from Steve Earles: June edition
A Gentleman In Moscow By Amor Towles Published by Hutchinson In this humorous and beautifully written book we are introduced to a certain Count Rostov, an aristocrat who has survived the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution; and had spent the last four years in a suite in The Metropol, a magnificent hotel near the Kremlin (Suite 217 of…
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Book reviews from Steve Earles: Sea Power
‘Nelson’s Battles: The Triumph of British Seapower’ By Dr Nicholas Tracy Published by Seaforth A fine book, one that conveys not just the historical and technical details of Nelson’s battles but their very atmosphere. From St Vincent to Trafalgar, all Nelson’s battles are here. It’s a handsome, well-presented book, with many illustrations and maps to…
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Chris Cornell – An Appreciation
This is not something I ever thought I’d be writing, and doing so makes me deeply sad, but it must be done. Chris Cornell’s departure from this life came as a massive shock to all of us who love his music, so what must it have been like for his family and friends? Our thoughts and…
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Interview: Albert Bell of Sacro Sanctus
Albert Bell is one of metal’s great characters, well known in his native Malta and beyond. Not content with his sterling work with Nomad Son and Forsaken, in recent years he has produced two outstanding albums with his most recent band Sacro Sanctus. Albert kindly took the time to give me a most illuminating and entertaining,…
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Nocturnal Hollow – Deathless and Fleshless
Hailing from Venezuela, Nocturnal Hollow are a death metal band that in the future will be known far beyond their own borders. They have taken their influences, Death, Celtic Frost, Morbid Angel and given them their own unique sheen. Their song-writing is first-class, indeed there is a lot of traditional metal in their leads and…
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Zealot Cult – Karmenian Crypt
Having seen Limerick’s Zealot Cult play an excellent set at Siege of Limerick, I had high expectations for this three-track EP, and I wasn’t disappointed. The title track shows a strong grasp of song-writing craft; the song is intricate and yet economic at the same time, clever but not cluttered. Most pleasing of all is…